Understanding and Interpreting Educational Research

This user-friendly text takes a learn-by-doing approach to exploring research design issues in education and psychology, offering evenhanded coverage of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and single-case designs. Readers learn the basics of different methods and steps for critically examining any study's design, data, and conclusions, using sample peer-reviewed journal articles as practice opportunities. The text is unique in featuring full chapters on survey methods, evaluation, reliability and validity, action research, and research syntheses.Pedagogical features include: an exemplar journal article at the end of each methods chapter, together with questions and activities for critiquing it (including, where applicable, checklist forms to identify threats to internal and external validity), plus lists of additional research examples research example boxes showing how studies are designed to address particular research questions in every chapter: bulleted chapter objectives and summaries, subheadings written as questions, a running glossary, and end-of-chapter discussion questions instructor's Manual, provided separately, supplying teaching aids, answers to exercises, and links to online test bank items and PowerPoints.

Ronald C. Martella, PhD, is Professor of Special Education at Eastern Washington University. He has over 26 years of experience working with at-risk populations and provides technical assistance to numerous states and districts on positive behavior support/behavior management for students with or without disabilities. Dr. Martella has over 140 professional publications, including several literacy programs and interventions. J. Ron Nelson, PhD, is Professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has over 20 years of experience in the field of special education as a teacher, technical assistance provider, and professor. A recipient of the Distinguished Initial Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, Dr. Nelson has more than 150 publications that focus on serving children at risk of school failure and research issues. He has developed a number of behavior and literacy interventions. Robert L. Morgan, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University and serves as the Head of the Severe Disabilities Teacher Preparation Program and Chair of the Undergraduate Committee. He worked in schools, adult residential facilities, and supported employment programs for 11 years. Dr. Morgan's research interests and more than 100 publications address issues including transition from school to adult roles and applied behavior analysis. Nancy E. Marchand-Martella, PhD, is a Professor of Special Education at Eastern Washington University. She has over 26 years of experience working with at-risk populations, including serving as a consultant for the Washington Improvement and Implementation Network and the Washington State Striving Readers Grant, and as a Reading First panel member. Dr. Marchand-Martella has over 150 professional publications, including several literacy programs and interventions.

I. UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH 1. Thinking Critically about Research Objectives Overview How Important Is Critical Thinking? What Are the Elements to Becoming a Critical Research Consumer? What Are Science and the Scientific Method? What Are the Purposes of Science? What Is a Scientific Theory? What Are the Types of Scientific Logic? In What Ways Do We Gain Information? What Are Constraint Levels in Educational and Psychological Research? What Are the Differences between Basic and Applied Research? What Is Replication Research? Summary Discussion Questions II. CRITICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH 2. Fundamental Issues for Interpreting Research Objectives What Is Variability? What Is Internal Validity and Its Threats? What Is External Validity and Its Threats? What Are Statistical and Social Validities? Summary Discussion Questions Interpretation Exercises 3. Reliability, Validity, and Interobserver Agreement Objectives Overview What Are Reliability and Validity Issues in Quantitative Research? How Do Researchers Assess the Reliability of Measurement Devices? How Do Researchers Determine the Validity of Measurement Devices? What Are Reliability and Validity Issues in Qualitative Research? What Is Interobserver Agreement? What Are the Methods of Establishing Interobserver Agreement? What Are the Factors That Influence Interobserver Agreement? What Are the Factors to Consider When Assessing Measurement Devices in the Context of a Study? Summary Discussion Questions Practice Exercises III. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS 4. Basic Statistical Concepts and Sampling Procedures Objectives Overview What Are the Scales of Measurement? What Is a Univariate Frequency Distribution? How Can We Describe Data Sets? What Role Do Hypotheses Play in Research? What Are Parametric and Nonparametric Tests of Statistical Significance? What Is Statistical Significance? What Are Type I and Type II Errors and Power? What Are the Types of Statistical Significance Testing Methods? What Are the Different Sampling Methods? What Are the Sampling Decisions Researchers Make? What Is Sampling Error? Summary Discussion Questions 5. Experimental Designs Objectives Overview What Are True Experimental Designs? What Are the Most Common True Experimental Designs? What Are Factorial Experimental Designs? What Are Quasi-Experimental Designs? What Are the Common Quasi-Experimental Designs? What Are Preexperimental Designs? What Are the Types of Preexperimental Designs? When Should Researchers Use Each Experimental Research Design? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form 6. Causal-Comparative Research Objectives Overview What Is the Causal-Comparative Research Method? What Should Researchers Consider When Designing a Causal-Comparative Research Study? Can the Causal-Comparative Approach Be Combined with Factorial Designs? When Should Researchers Use the Causal-Comparative Research Design? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form 7. Correlational Research Objectives Overview What Is the Correlational Research Method? What Are the Issues in Designing a Correlational Study? What Are the Statistical Procedures Used in Correlational Research? When Should Researchers Use the Correlational Research Method? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form 8. Survey Research Methods Objectives Overview What Are the Purposes of Survey Research? What Are the Different Types of Surveys? What Are the Factors in Choosing a Survey Method? How Is Survey Research Designed? When Should Researchers Use Survey Research? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Survey Validity Form IV. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS 9. Basic Understandings in Qualitative Research Objectives Overview What Are the Characteristics of Qualitative Research? What Are the Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research? What Are Qualitative Research Procedures? What Is Understanding in Qualitative Research? What Are the Evaluative Criteria for Judging the Reliability and Validity of Qualitative Research? What Are the Types of Triangulation Methods? How Are Qualitative Data Analyzed? Summary Discussion Questions 10. Data Collection and Designs in Qualitative Research Objectives Overview What Are Field-Oriented Studies? What Is Historical Research? What Are Mixed-Methods Studies? When Should Researchers Use Each Qualitative Research Design? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Qualitative Research Examination Form V. SINGLE-CASE RESEARCH METHODS 11. Withdrawal and Associated Designs Objectives Overview What Are Graphing Methods in Withdrawal Designs? What Are Withdrawal and Associated Designs? When Should Researchers Use Each Withdrawal and Associated Design? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form 12. Multiple-Baseline Designs Objectives Overview What Are Graphing Methods in Multiple-Baseline Designs? What Are Multiple-Baseline Designs? When Should Researchers Use Each Multiple-Baseline Design? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form 13. Additional Single-Case Designs Objectives Overview What Is a Changing-Criterion Design? What Is a Multitreatment Design? What Is an Alternating Treatments Design? What Are Combination Designs? When Should Researchers Use Each of the Additional Single-Case Designs? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Threats to Internal Validity Form Threats to External Validity Form VI. EVALUATION RESEARCH 14. Program Evaluation Objectives Overview What Are the Goals and Objectives of Program Evaluation? What Are the Types of Program Evaluations? How Is a Program Evaluation Conducted? When Should Program Evaluations Be Conducted? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples 15. Evaluating the Literature Objectives Overview What Are the Purposes of Research Syntheses? What Are Systematic and Unsystematic Research Syntheses? What Are The Considerations For Conducting Research Syntheses? How Do Researchers Plan and Execute Research Syntheses? When Should Researchers Conduct Research Syntheses? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples VII. ACTION RESEARCH 16. Action Research: Moving from Critical Research Consumer to Researcher Objectives Overview What Is Action Research? What Are the Characteristics of Action Research? How Are Quantitative Methods Used in Action Research? How Are Qualitative Methods Used in Action Research? How Are Single-Case Methods Used in Action Research? How Are Survey, Historical, and Program Evaluation Research Methods Used in Action Research? What Are the Ethical Principles and Codes of Conduct for Research? How Does One Write a Research Article? How Are Articles Submitted for Publication? When Should One Conduct Action Research? Summary Discussion Questions ILLUSTRATIVE ARTICLE EXAMPLE Research Example Questions Additional Research Examples Glossary